GRIMSBY Town were caught out by a late goal as Macclesfield Town claimed all three points at Blundell Park.
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In an open game between two well-matched sides, Matthew Barnes-Homer struck from the penalty spot after a foul by Aswad Thomas.
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Visiting keeper Lance Cronin had kept his team in the game with a string of superb saves to deny the Mariners, who had created the better chances throughout the game.
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But the away side took the honours after catching the hosts on the counter-attack and Town finished the game with 10 men after Scott Neilson was shown a late red card.
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Four changes were made to the Town side after last week’s FA Cup defeat by Kidderminster Harriers.
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Thomas and Shaun Pearson returned from injury, while Craig Disley was fit to start after limping off after coming on as a substitute against Steve Burr’s side. Ross Hannah also came back in after parent club Bradford City refused permission for him to play in the cup.
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The men making way were Sam Hatton, Ian Miller, Andi Thanoj and Dayle Southwell, three of whom started on the bench this time around.
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James McKeown began in goal, with Bradley Wood, Pearson, Nathan Pond and Thomas making up the defence.
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Joe Colbeck, Disley, Derek Niven and Neilson were the midfielders, with Anthony Elding joining Hannah in attack.
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Miller, Southwell and Thanoj were among the substitutes, along with Frankie Artus and Andy Cook.
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Macclesfield made the journey east with a familiar name in their starting XI in the shape of Peter Winn. The Cleethorpes-born winger had a spell on loan at Blundell park from Stevenage last season before signing for the Silkmen in July.
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Former Luton strikers Barnes-Homer and Amari Morgan-Smith were the men looking to cause the Grimsby defence problems.
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Macclesfield kicked off into a strong wind and they saw a penalty appeal turned down within the opening two minutes, when Pond appeared to catch Morgan-Smith inside the box. Referee Robert Whitton was not interested though, waving play on.
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A foul at the other end then gave Town a free kick 35 yards out and after Wood chipped it into the box, the ball broke for Pearson to lash a low shot which visiting keeper Cronin did very well to get a hand to.
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Pond had to concede a corner on six minutes after some good build-up play from the visitors. John-Paul Kissock’s kick was headed away by Pearson.
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Niven drove a low shot from 40 yards after Barnes-Homer gave the ball away in midfield but his tame effort rolled wide.
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A push on Elding eventually brought a town free kick after the referee initially allowed the advantage but the set-piece opportunity came to nothing, as Colbeck fired over the bar.
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A similart situation came when Thomas fouled right-back Ryan Jackson and the referee allowed play to continue initially before blowing for the free kick. Keiran Murtagh’s delivery was headed wide by centre-back Pablo Mills.
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Town were starting to take control of the game around the quarter-hour but a spell of Macclesfield pressure saw Jackson have a shot blocked by Thomas after a run by Winn down the left.
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Then, a half-chance for Grimsby came when Neilson found Hannah inside the box but he could not get any power on his header.
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Colbeck won a corner for the Mariners on 19 minutes but Niven’s touch to Colbeck’s delivery took the ball away from Pearson, who looked set to connect with a header.
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A foul by Murtagh on Neilson gave Town a free kick on the right three minutes later. Colbeck sent it into the box but the ball was headed away by Tony Diagne, who got to it ahead of Pond.
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Morgan-Smith had a shot blocked for Macclesfield, before a long ball forward from Murtagh resulted in a Grimsby free kick for a push on Pond.
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A Town attack down the left then led to Colbeck firing a shot just over the bar from 20 yards.
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A cross from Winn at the other end held up in the wind but Kissock’s header from 18 yards went straight through to McKeown.
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A good move from the Mariners saw a deep cross from Thomas flicked on by Elding for Hannah but the offside flag was raised against the Bradford loanee.
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A cross from Colbeck on the left was headed out for a corner and after it was played short for Neilson, he found Niven and the midfielder’s cross was headed away for a Town throw on the right. It was also taken short, before the ball was crossed for Pond to loop a header against the bar.
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Niven was shown the first yellow card of the game for a foul on midfielder Sam Wedgebury midway inside the Grimsby half on 38 minutes but the resulting free kick was poor and Niven headed clear.
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Murtagh followed Niven into the referee’s notebook when he clipped the heels of Disley on the Town left.
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Colbeck’s delivery was met by Pearson but his header went well over the bar.
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A low cross from Thomas on the left was flicked towards goal by Hannah but his effort was deflected out for a corner by Mills.
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Two added minutes were played at the end of the half and with no further opportunities created by either side, the scores remained level at the break.
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It had been a very open first half but few clear-cut chances had been created at either end, with neither goalkeeper particularly busy.
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No changes were made before the restart and Town could have taken the lead almost immediately, when a cross from Colbeck on the right was flicked towards goal by Elding but saved by keeper Cronin.
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Niven then tried his luck with a side-footer from 20 yards but Cronin made the catch.
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In a high-tempo start to the half, the away side also created a good opportunity for Jackson but he blazed the ball over the bar from inside the box.
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Neilson had the next chance, picking the ball up on the left and cutting in before hitting a shot that Cronin had to push around his post for a corner.
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Charles Henry replaced Jackson for Macclesfield before the corner, which was cleared.
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Murtagh shot wide after good work by the busy Kissock in midfield but the visitors were still posing little threat to McKeown’s goal.
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Cronin was having more to do in the Macclesfield goal and he was called into action again to push the ball away from under his bar after a cross from Thomas.
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The game was still open and the next chance went to the away side, with substitute Henry pushing a shot wide from inside the penalty area.
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McKeown was required to beat the ball away for a corner from a shot by Barnes-Homer on 58 minutes, as the away side looked to force a breakthrough.
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Macclesfield were bossing possession and looking the more dangerous of the two teams Town’s response was to bring Thanoj on for Hannah, pushing Neilson into a more advanced striking role.
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Thanoj found Neilson on the edge of the box just after the hour but the Crawley loanee’s shot was pushed out for a corner by Cronin.
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And the keeper produced another outstanding save when a great ball fromm Disley left Neilson in a one-on-one situation but the keeper came out to superbly block his shot for a corner.
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The Mariners had another chance to take the lead from the flag but Elding could not convert a free header.
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A shot from Thanoj was blocked after Thomas pulled the ball back from the left, before Pearson was booked for a foul on Barnes-Homer near the centre circle.
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Southwell came on in place of Colbeck for the last 20 minutes of the game, with both sides still looking for the opening goal.
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Thanoj had a shot blocked for a corner after a run by Neilson on the right but the ball was cleared after a header from Pearson.
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Cronin made another brilliant save to keep the scores level after a driven cross from Wood was met by Southwell’s first-time shot but again, Town could not make the resulting corner count.
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A foul on Elding gave the Mariners a free kick in a central position, 25 yards out, on 77 minutes. Neilson teed the ball up for Thomas but the left-back sliced it wide.
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A spell of Macclesfield pressure came after Town lost possession deep inside their own half but it ended with a wild shot by Winn, who hit the roof of the Osmond Stand with his 20-yard effort.
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Waide Fairhurst came on for Kissock for the visitors and soon afterwards, they were given a golden opportunity to take the lead.
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Town again lost possession and Barnes-Homer made his way into the box, where he turned inside and was brought down by Thomas. The referee pointed to the penalty spot and BARNES-HOMER got up to smash the ball past McKeown and into the net in front of the 66 travelling supporters from Cheshire.
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Jack Mackreth came on for Morgan-Smith for the last six minutes, before Cook replaced Niven for the Mariners, who were now having to chase the game.
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Macclesfield were now on the up and they kept attacking in search of a second goal, which would kill Grimsby’s hopes off once and for all.
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And there was still time for the Mariners to be reduced to 10 men, with Neilson shown a straight red card for a foul on the Macclesfield right.
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Cronin had to be at his best again to make a superb double save, first from Cook, then Southwell, as the game moved into four minutes of added time.
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McKeown moved forward to join the Town attack but they were unable to force an equaliser, meaning it was a third straight home defeat in all competitions.
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Town will now head to Tamworth for their next league fixture on Saturday.